The Guilt
by beekersblessings
Summary: Hermione and Ron's relationship has hit a dead end but neither of them want to admit it. After a drunken one night stand with no other than Charlie Weasley, Hermione finds herself pregnant. Will she stay with Ron and never speak of the affair? Or will she finally admit that she and Ron make better friends than a couple? AU and OOC
1. Chapter 1

Hermione would never cheat on a significant other. Or at least that what she had always thought. She'd witnessed first hand how much damage it could do to a relationship after her Aunt had been caught in the act cheating on her Uncle when she was eight or nine years old. That was the first time she had ever heard an adult male cry and it still haunted her sometimes.

When she and Ron first got together she fell head over heels in love with him. He was everything she wanted, funny, kind, and lovable in his own way. They loved being together and within six months they moved in together. After four years, however, they were starting to drift apart. Ron was an auror for the Ministry of Magic and worked long hours. There were some nights that he was so wrapped up in a project that he wouldn't even come home. Hermione, on the other hand, had been accepted into a very intense and difficult research project that would hopefully result in her becoming the next Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts.

When they first started to drift apart, Hermione thought it was because they never saw each other. She brought it up to him and they started to make more time together and go on dates again but she quickly realized that that wasn't the case at all. When they did make the time for each other they had nothing to talk about and they had nothing in common. They couldn't even go to the movies without an argument about it because they had such conflicting tastes in movies. Life was starting to become very routine and Hermione was getting bored and depressed. Even though was starting to build up resentment towards Ron, she never would have done anything to hurt him. That is, she never intended to do anything to hurt him until she ran into no other than Charlie Weasley.

Charlie Weasley was the second oldest Weasley brother and was just so free spirited. Hermione had always admired how peaceful and happy he always seemed. His stocky, muscular build along with his scruffy beard also appealed to her and developed a little, seemingly harmless crush on him. When she was in Hogwarts, Hermione had never really spent a lot of time with Charlie but after the war ended and they graduated he was around more. When he went over to The Burrow for dinner she didn't talk to him much but she loved listening to him talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about what he was doing in Romania with the dragons. It always sounded so interesting and she admired how in love he was with his work.

One day, after a long and stressful day at work, Hermione went to Diagon Alley to get a new pair of dress robes for a work function, a light maroon with some sparkle to the skirt part of them. When she was done, she went into the Leaky Cauldron to get a drink before she went back home. It was going to be the first night Ron was going to be home for almost a week and she could feel her anxiety starting to creep up on her and wanted something to calm herself down. She shook herself angrily as she walked into the pub. She loved him, even if it wasn't romantic anymore. There was no need to feel anxious going home to him. As she sat down at the bar and ordered her drink, she noticed Charlie was there, sitting a few seats down from her. After a few moments he glanced over with a smile, just noticing that she was there..

"Hey! What are you doing here? Nice to see you!" He said, scooting down the few seats between them so he could sit next to her.

"Long day at work." Hermione replied with a small smile, sipping on her drink.

They sat for an unknown amount of time and got lost in conversation. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard. She felt so at peace talking to him and they didn't have those awkward silences that she'd become accustomed to with Ron. She didn't notice him place his hand on her leg and she felt herself shiver with pleasure. Charlie quickly brought his hand away, clearly thinking that he had crossed a line.

"I'm sorry." He stammered quickly. "I got carried away. I didn't know what I was thinking. Please forgive me. I don't want to do anything that would damage yours and Ron's relationship."

"Our relationship isn't all it's cracked up to be." Hermione blurted out. Charlie raised an eyebrow.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, now looking concerned. She shook herself angrily. She had never told anyone just how bad things were between her and Ron and she definitely hadn't meant to tell Charlie out of anyone.

"I'm okay. It's okay… I have to go." The brunette stammered, standing up and placing some change on the table. She walked outside and was about to apparate when she heard Charlie's footsteps behind her. Hermione turned around to face him.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. But it looks like you need someone to talk to and I can be that person. I know we don't know each other very well but I care about you a lot, Hermione. And especially if it has something to do with my brother I might be able to help. Who would know him better than someone in his own family?" Hermione paused for a moment and glanced over at him, he looked back at her looking more concerned than he had a few moments before. She could feel the tears welling up inside her and nodded her head. Maybe talking to Charlie could help plus it would mean more time spent with him and less time spent at home with Ron. He walked over next to her and apparated them both to his apartment in Romania.

The apartment was a tiny studio but Charlie didn't need much. She sat on his futon as he bustled off to make tea and looked around. There wasn't much of a style to it but it had a rustic sort of vibe. There was even a small spiral staircase that lead up to a loft where he slept. After a few moments Charlie came back and set next to her, being sure to put some extra space between the two of them. He was clearly still bothered by what had happened back at the Leaky Cauldron.

"So," He began awkwardly. "What do you want to talk about? What can I do to help you." Before she knew it, Hermione was telling Charlie her entire life story. From finding out she was a witch to performing the memory charm on her parents so they'd be safe while she, Ron, and Harry went off to find the Horcruxes. When she got to her relationship with Ron she didn't hold back. Hermione told him all about thinking it was all due to not spending as much time together because of their work schedules, but then, even after taking the time to "date" again saw nothing was helping.

"Do you and him ever argue?" He asked when she finished. She shook her head.

"No, we hardly ever fight and he's never gotten physical with me. We're just so different and I feel like we've grown apart. I feel like both of us can sense it but neither of us want to bring it up. I don't even know who I am anymore." Hermione could feel the tears coming again and this time couldn't hold them in. Charlie scooted closer to her and gave her a hug, rubbing her back.

"Let it all out, Hermione. I'm here for you." He murmured into her hair. A few moments later she was done crying and he let go.

"I just don't know what to do." Hermione hiccupped.

"I wish I had some advice for you but I don't." Charlie replied. "You guys seem to have tried a lot to try to fix things but sometimes people just fall out of love or grow apart. To be honest since I've gotten to know you better the last few years I've never sensed any sort of chemistry between the two of you."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Yea but I can't imagine my life without him. We've been through so much in fighting Voldemort. I can't imagine just turning my back on that."  
"No one said you couldn't be friends." Charlie reminded her gently. "I feel like if things didn't work out for you romantically you guys could stay best friends. I want you to think about what I've said for a moment." Hermione took a few minutes to fully process everything that Charlie suggested.

"You know, now that I think about it, if Ron ever came home with another girl I honestly don't think it would bother me. I wouldn't be jealous, I'd want him to be happy." She finally said thoughtfully. Charlie looked a little surprised but quickly masked it with a small smile.

"I know it's hard to think about and you obviously need to do what's best for you. I just want you to remember that there are other options. Your life doesn't need to be like this, you shouldn't have to feel like this.. You're smart, beautiful, and talented. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

Suddenly his face turned bright red and he stood up abruptly. Hermione sat still and waited for him to come back with a strong smelling glass of some sort of whiskey.

"I'm sorry." He repeated for what seemed like the millionth time that night after taking a long swig. Without fully thinking Hermione reached over and gently kissed him. When they broke apart he smiled.

"Are you sure you wanted to do that?" He asked her.  
"More sure than I've been in a long time." She answered. Hermione moved closer to him on the couch and kissed him again, slowly and taking time to savor the lips she'd been thinking about on and off for the last few years.

Charlie deepened the kiss and gently nibbled her bottom lip.

"Mmmm." She moaned against his lips. She fumbled around with the button on his jeans and within two minutes they were both completely naked.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He slurred against her lips, she nodded her head fervently. When they were finished she fell asleep against his naked chest. Completely satisfied and at peace for the first time in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione awoke a few hours later with a start. She couldn't remember where she was and she had a massive migraine. She quickly glanced to the person next to her and swore under her breath. How could she have been so stupid? As quietly as she could she got dressed, tiptoed out of the apartment, and apparated back to the flat that she and Ron shared. Hermione silently made her way into the house and saw that Ron had left a note saying that he went to bed. It was almost two AM.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" She asked herself angrily as she splashed water on her face in the bathroom. Her heart sank as she heard Ron's soft snores coming from their bedrooms. "How could I have done this to him?" Flashbacks of her Uncle crying to her father and asking what he had done wrong came flooding into her mind. She sat on the cold tile floor and began to cry. Once she calmed herself down she glanced once again towards the mirror and contemplated using a memory charm on herself so she could forget what had happened. In the end she had decided not to. Performing a memory charm wouldn't make it so that it had never happened. She had made the mistake and she would have to live with it.

Feeling disgusted with herself Hermione couldn't bring herself to go into bed with Ron and decided to sleep on the couch. She wrote him a note saying that she had gotten home late from work and didn't want to wake him. By the time she awoke the next morning he had already gone to work, with a note saying he most likely wouldn't be home that night. He and Harry had been planning a massive raid in Brasil and she assumed that he wouldn't be home because of that. Not having Ron home for at least one night would give herself to wrap her mind around what had happened.

After throwing on her favorite robes, she apparated to work and was able to lose her mind in one of her assignments. That is, until she got an owl at around lunch time from Charlie.

 _We need to talk._

 _-C_

Hermione crumbled the note up and threw it in her waste basket. Talking to him was going to make things worse and even more confusing. They both definitely liked each other, and if she spoke to him she'd want to sleep with him again.

Instead of answering Charlie's message she wrote one to Ron instead.

 _I hope you're having a good day at work. I love you._

 _Hermione_

Her heart sank as watched the owl fly away, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

A month had past and Hermione still hadn't talked to Charlie since that night. This was her own doing, Charlie had been sending owls every couple of days that she kept throwing away. She was supposed to be getting ready to go to King's Cross Station for the student teaching part of her program, but instead her head was in the toilet, vomiting her brains out.

"Hermione, are you okay in there?" Ron's voice came from the other side of the door. Hermione wiped her mouth on a towel.  
"Yes. I'll be right out." She called back. Her hand fumbled back to the pregnancy test she had taken before she got sick. There, before her very eyes, was one single word that made her feel like she was going to be sick all over again.

 _Pregnant._

 _Pregnant._

 _Pregnant._

"Are you shitting me." She muttered. "How could this be happening…" Of course, she knew what had happened. She'd been there. She'd been the one who had initiated the entire thing. How could she have been so dumb as to not have used a conception charm? There was no way the baby was Ron's. They hadn't sleep together in almost two months. What was she going to do?

"This is what you get." Hermione told herself angrily and got up and walked out of the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked, concerned when she came out into the living room. She nodded and gave him a hug.

"Just nervous about this whole trip. I'm going to miss you a lot." Hermione replied. Then, she suddenly had an idea.

"Hey, let's have a quickie before I go." She suggested with a quick smile.

Ron laughed.

"We're going to be late. It's a bad sign if a teacher misses the Hogwarts Express." He told her seriously. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway towards their room.

"We won't if we go fast. I won't see you again until Christmas." She chuckled playfully as she kissed his neck. Ten minutes later they were getting in a muggle taxi that would take them to the station.

Hermione was silent the whole way. They really didn't have any chemistry. She thought back to the night that she had slept with Charlie. They had been so compatible, it had felt as though they had been together a million times. With Ron they had just gone through the motions to get it over with. She could tell he wasn't fully with it and she wasn't either. The taxi stopped at the front doors and she got out and gave Ron a kiss.

"I'll see you at Christmas!" She said with a small smile. Hermione watched the taxi until it was out of sight and then went into the station and got on the train. The train had a compartment for wtiches and wizards who were doing the program but she was the only one it it.

It felt so good to be going back to Hogwarts. She missed the familiarity of the castle. It'll be the first time she felt at home in such a long time. Her thoughts darted back to the the morning and discovering she was pregnant.

"What am I going to do?" She asked herself. Terminating the pregnancy was completely out of the question. This was her punishment for cheating on Ron. Thankfully since they had slept together that morning she could say that the baby was Ron's. He most likely wouldn't notice a few weeks difference. Besides, first borns usually came late so it would seem like she had conceived around this time. Even if this baby didn't she could say that the baby came a few weeks early. That issue was completely out of the way. But she still knew that everytime she looked at this baby she would think about Charlie and that night that they had spent together. She could avoid his messages, but she couldn't ignore the fact that she was carrying his baby and falling more in love with him and out of love with Ron by the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione walked up and down the tables in the Transfiguration class, adjusting the students' arms and pronunciations of the spell they were learning as needed. They all looked so young, so carefree. She couldn't believe that she was about the same age when she, Ron, and Harry had gone through that trapdoor. They had been babies. The bell rang and she glanced up at the clock.

"Miss. Granger," Headmistress McGonagall called from the front of the class. She walked over and McGonagall gave her some papers to correct from her NEWT students' assignments. "Please have these done by Friday."  
"Yes, Professor." Hermione replied, happy to be given the distraction.

After the war, many professors left Hogwarts and it was difficult to find replacements for the positions. That's when McGonagall started the fellowship program that Hermione was in. Never, in Hogwarts history, had a Headmaster or Headmistress had to keep their professor role while also being in charge of the school. Hermione was happy to get the first hand experience from one of the most brilliant witches she'd ever met. The next school year, as long as she got all of her assignments done and McGonagall was happy with her teaching, she'd be taking over as the Transfiguration professor and McGonagall would be able to just solely be the Headmistress.

Hermione walked back to her room. If one were to walk by the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room there was a small door that looked as though it would be a small custodian closet. If someone other than Hermione and Professor McGonagall tried to get in it would look like there were just cleaning supplies. The door handle was bewitched so that it had to be tapped three times with either Hermione or McGonagall's wands to open into a small studio apartment styled room. There was a small kitchenette and sitting area but the best part of her room would have to be her sleep/study area. She had a loft style bed with a desk underneath it. The ceiling above her bed had the same starry effect that the Great Hall had. There had been many nights in the short time that she'd been back at Hogwarts where she'd spent hours awake just looking at the stars and thinking about everything that was happening in her life.

Ron hadn't spoken to her much since she'd started this more intensive part of the program. She knew that he assumed she was very busy, and she assumed that he was busy as well but it hurt her that he wasn't even trying to reach out to her. But, of course, she would keep reminding herself angrily, Ron had never been one to think like that. Maybe it was bothering her more than usual because of the pregnancy hormones, she was chalking it up to that. Deep down, however, she knew that this wasn't the case. Charlie had been owling her once or twice a week regularly ever since they had slept together.

Why couldn't Ron be putting the effort into their relationship the way that Charlie was? She and Charlie weren't even together! Hermione hadn't answered any of his owls. She had no idea what to even say to him. Even though she wasn't answering his owls and trying to pretend he didn't exist, she couldn't keep her mind off of Charlie. She kept thinking about how it had felt being with him. When they were just sitting and talking at the Leaky Cauldron they were able to talk to each other like they were best friends, even though they had barely known each other. When they had made love it had felt as though they had been together hundreds of times before. She had felt so right with Charlie, and it made her feel so guilty because she was with Ron. Now they were expecting a child together and she didn't even know what to do.

It made the most sense to stay with Ron, they'd been together for so long, but at the same time Hermione's heart sank at the thought. She wasn't happy nor in love with Ron. Not to mention Ron wasn't the father of this baby. Charlie was. After seeing how much effort Charlie was putting in to trying to speak with her, she was starting to put more and more thought into being with him instead and being able to raise their baby together as a family. Her heart sank even further when she thought of taking Charlie away from his passion of working with dragons in Romania. She could never do that to him. At least with Ron they'd be a family.

Hermione sat down at her desk and got to work grading some of the papers McGonagall had asked her to grade, very thankful at having them to distract her. Her hand automatically went to her belly, which was beginning to swell with her son or daughter. The only people at Hogwarts who knew about her pregnancy were McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey. The baby was developing perfectly and she was approximately 16 weeks. Thankfully, most of her first trimester symptoms had gone away. She would be able to find out the next week if the baby was a boy or a girl. Hermione was planning on telling Ron about their pregnancy when she went home for Christmas (in about two weeks). She kept telling herself she had waited to tell him because she thought it would be a nice Christmas present for him. In the back of her mind she knew that in reality it was because of her anxiety about telling the biggest lie of her entire life.

Hermione laid down on Madam Pomfrey's exam table while the nurse put the goopy gel on her belly. She shuddered involuntarily from how cold it felt on her skin. Pomfrey moved the medical wand all over her belly muttering to herself.

"Everything looks great! Would you like to know the gender of the baby?" She asked her. Hermione nodded, a smile on her face.

"It's a girl." Hermione finished the remainder of her appointment with the same smile on her face. As she walked up to her room, she thought of the baby girl that was going inside of her. She could start buying baby clothes and coming up with girl names. Then, as she walked into her apartment, her heart sank a little. Ron was sitting on her bed, looking at the pregnancy book that she had left out.

"Ron what are you doing-" She started.

"Is there something you've forgotten to tell me?" He said, sounding anxious, hurt, and distant.

"Ron, I wanted to wait until Christmas so I could tell you face to face!" She replied. "I thought it would be a nice surprise."

"But you're almost halfway through!" He replied. "I've missed half of this pregnancy. It's not like you just wanted to wait until after your first trimester. That I could have understood, I mean I'm sure McGonagall would have let you come home for a date or something so we could talk. It's not like you're under house arrest. We could have even met in Hogsmeade or something. How could you have not told me?!"

"Ron do we ever talk?! You haven't spoken to me since I've been here! Not to mention when's the last time we went on a date?!" Hermione retorted back angrily after a few moments. "Would you honestly have been excited?! Besides, it's not like we planned this." Ron looked at his knees, ignoring Hermione's outburst.

"Do you know what the baby is?" He said quietly.

"A girl." Hermione replied, feeling her anger ebb away. He stood up and gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry for everything that's happened between us. I'm sorry I've been pushing you away. But I want us to be able to work. Especially for our daughter. Even though it might not seem like it sometimes I do love you, Hermione."

Hermione hugged him back and gave him a small smile.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you. I promise, I was planning on telling you at Christmas, I was just afraid of how you were going to take it." She told him.

"I love you, Hermione." Ron replied, although he still sounded distant.

"I love you too, are you okay?" Hermione wanted to kick herself for asking such a stupid question. Of course he wasn't okay, he was upset. She'd be upset too if he'd kept something as big as this from her.

"I'm afraid I'm not going to be a good dad." He answered quickly. A little too quickly, but Hermione wasn't going to push him any further.

"You're going to be an excellent father." Hermione smiled back at him. She reached into her bag and took out some of the ultrasound pictures that Madame Pomfrey had given to her. They sat on her couch as they looked at them together. After seeing the pictures of their baby Ron looked a lot more calm and relaxed.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for getting so angry and for just showing up without letting you know. It would have been an awesome Christmas surprise. I had originally wanted to surprise you and tell you I got the promotion!" He told her with a big smile.

"That's amazing, Ron!" Hermione replied and gave him another hug. "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade and celebrate? I'm sure McGonagall will understand, she knew I was finding out the gender today."

Ron's face sank a little bit.

"Does anyone else know about the baby?" He asked her, she shook her head.

"Only me, you, McGonagall, and Pomfrey." She replied.

"Not even Harry or Ginny?"

"Nope." He relaxed as he stood up and offered her his arm.

"What are you in the mood for?" He questioned, his belly grumbling. Hermione laughed.

"Do you want to go out or do you want me to whip something up here really quick?"

"Would you want some chicken parm?" Ron looked hopeful as he asked and Hermione nodded.

"That sounds great!"

She cooked dinner while Ron was talking about his promotion. He was going to be Head of the Department of International Safety, it was his job to make sure Voldemort was actually dead and to keep an eye on followers that were still alive and trying to bring the Deatheaters back together. He sounded so excited, the most excited that Hermione had ever seen him. They ate dinner and dessert together (Hermione had made some lava cakes) and Ron stood up to give her a huge hug and kiss on the cheek when he finished.

"I loved spending time with you today." He murmured into her hair. "I've missed you. I promise I'll do everything I can to make you and our baby girl happy. I'm sorry I haven't been there for much moral support but I promise I will turn this around. For us."

"I loved seeing you too." Hermione replied, returning the hug. "We love you. But we should probably get to bed. Would you like to stay or do you have to go back?"

"Sadly I have to go back, but I promise I'll be back to visit you soon and we'll have the whole Christmas break together." Ron smiled at her and gave her another kiss on the cheek. Then, he walked to the fire place and left using Floo Powder.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione had wanted to believe Ron so badly when he said things were going to change. He had promised he would be by to visit before she came home for break. But he hadn't been by at all. He hadn't even owled her since the night he found out about the baby. She kept trying to tell herself that he was busy with his new promotion, even that he was nervous about being a father. In the back of her mind, however, she knew the truth was going to come out soon even though she had known the truth for a long time. Ron wasn't in love with Hermione and finding out about her pregnancy was one of the worst pieces of news he'd ever received because now he felt obligated to stay, even though he wasn't happy. Secretly, in the back of her mind, Hermione had hoped that finding out about the pregnancy would bring them closer together. Sadly, this wouldn't be the case. No matter how hard she tried.

Charlie's letters were also coming less frequently. She'd only received one since the night that Ron had come over. Maybe he was losing interest or maybe he was just giving up hope because he hadn't received a reply. Either way, Hermione was getting the sinking feeling that she was going to end up alone by the time everything was said and done and in her mind it was all her fault.

All of her things were packed up for winter break and her anxiety was at an all time high. For the next three weeks she would be living with Ron and their relationship uncertainty all over again. Not to mention she had no idea what the state of their flat was going to be. At Hogwarts, Ron had been known to be a massive slob and things hadn't gotten any better over the years. Hermione's bump was getting increasingly difficult to conceal which would be a huge talking point at the different holiday parties they would be attending. The only thing that eased her anxiety, although just a small amount, was that she wouldn't have to worry about seeing Charlie because he never went to the Weasley's Christmas Eve Party. He always had to work.

With her trunk by her side, Hermione stepped into the fireplace and flooed to the flat that she and Ron shared. She was impressed to see that he'd maintained it pretty well while she was gone. It wasn't spotless by any means but it wasn't the disaster that she had expected. He wasn't home but he had left a note saying that he'd be back by five.

It only took about twenty minutes to unpack all of her belongings. With a few hours to spare before Ron got home, Hermione decided to take a warm, relaxing bath. It had been a long time since she'd been able to take one because her room at Hogwarts only had a stand up shower. As she laid down in the warm, relaxing water, she began to daydream about random little things. She didn't realize that she had actually fallen asleep until she was jolted awake by a twitch from her belly. It took a few seconds to realize what had woken her up then felt herself grow warm with excitement.

Her daughter had moved! She had finally felt it and it was the best feeling in the world. It also brought a sense of calmness to Hermione. No matter what happened between her and Ron or even her and Charlie, she and this baby would have each other. She glanced at her watch, Ron would be home in about twenty minutes, she'd been asleep in the tub for almost two hours. Hermione quickly got up and dried herself off, then she went into the bedroom and got into her favorite pair of leggings and a light sweater. She had no idea if Ron would want to go out when he got home but she'd be fine to either go out or lounge around the house.

To no one's surprise, Ron ended up not getting home until eight and did not want to go out. He didn't have an excuse or an apology ready. Hermione tried hard to hide her disappointment but could tell she was unsuccessful.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He said, annoyed. "I got held up."  
"It's my first day home in months! You always get held up! Ron what's going to happen when this baby comes? At this point she isn't even going to know you! You're never home and when you are you hardly seem like you want to be! It's not fair!" Hermione snapped back. Not being able to hold herself back any longer. "It been like this for so long and I am so sick of it! I've tried so hard to love you, be here for you, and nothing I do matters! You always want to be at work. Are you really doing work related things or are you seeing someone else? You clearly don't love me." Without giving him a chance to respond, she walked down the hallway and into their guest room/study and locked the door so she wouldn't have to deal with him.

The next week went by with them hardly speaking to each other unless it was absolutely necessary. She had even been sleeping in the guest room rather than in bed with him and he was spending the days from morning until night at the office so they wouldn't be forced to speak. Hermione was counting down the days until she'd be able to go back to Hogwarts. She was going to ask Professor McGonagall if she could permanently live at the castle. She couldn't live like this and it wouldn't be fair to the baby.

Finally it was Christmas Eve and they would be forced to speak to each other and try and act as civil as they could for Molly and Arthur's annual get together. Hermione was excited to see the Weasleys and to tell them about the baby. She had picked out a red, sparkly, maternity dress that really made her bump pop along with a cardigan that helped mask it. When they were opening their presents she would take the cardigan off to show them that there was going to be another baby in the family. Hermione spent all afternoon getting ready. Her hair was in a french twist with glitter, her makeup was done, and she was just putting her earrings in when Ron knocked on the study door.

"Can I come in." He asked and she unlocked the door with a nonverbal spell. His mouth dropped when he looked at her. "You look beautiful." He said.

"Thank you." Hermione replied, kind of stiffly.

"I wanted to apologize for that fight." He started and she nodded.

"Thank you. I really don't ask you for much."  
"I know you don't. There's just a lot going on. I don't know how to handle it. I'm sorry" Ron replied, trying to stand up for himself. Hermione knew this wasn't the case, these same issues had been going on for years but she wasn't ready to start another fight. Especially right before they went to the Christmas Eve party. Hermione stood up to give him a hug and his mouth dropped again when he saw her bump.

"Oh my goodness." He reached his hand out to touch it but hesitated until he got a nod from Hermione. His entire demeanor softened when he touched her belly. For the first time in a while Hermione saw pure joy and happiness on his face. "Hi little one, I love you!" Hermione got her cardigan and put it on and then she and Ron were ready to go. They decided to drive, apparating was getting uncomfortable for Hermione and she didn't want to risk getting ash on her dress from using the floo powder. They were the last ones to arrive, Ron parked the car in the driveway and walked up to the door. They walked inside and were greeted by none other than Charlie Weasley.

"Hello mates!" He said with a smile. Ron gave him a quick hug while Hermione stayed frozen, feeling her heart drop into her stomach. Why was this happening?! Charlie never went to the Christmas Eve Party. When Hermione had unfrozen herself, she walked around the house saying hello to everyone that was there. There had to be over one hundred people between the immediate Weasleys, spouses, grandchildren, members of the Order, and a few of Ginny's Quidditch teammates. She went out of her way to stay away from Charlie, however. She wasn't ready to talk to him. In fact, to be perfectly honest, she would probably never be ready to talk to him.

They made it through the appetizers, dinner, and dancing without Hermione needing to worry about him. However, people started to leave as the night went on and soon it was just Ginny, Harry, Ron, the twins, Percy, Charlie, Molly and Arthur at the house. Just like how it was during the summers that Hermione stayed there. Well, except Charlie was never there. Molly and Arthur decided to go up to bed to finish wrapping the presents they'd be opening at midnight, leaving the young adults downstairs to do their own thing while they waited. They decided to play a game of Exploding Snap, while Hermione opted to read a book in the corner like she usually did when they played. Everything was going fine until Hermione's bladder got the best of her and she went to use the bathroom that was attached to the kitchen.

Charlie used that as the perfect opportunity to excuse himself from the game and go into the kitchen to get some ice tea. When Hermione came out of the bathroom he was finally able to talk to her face to face.

"Hey." He said quietly, pouring the pitcher of ice tea into glasses for the two of them.

"Hi." Hermione replied uncomfortably.

"How've you been? I've been trying to write to you." He continued, glancing at her.

"I've been busy, there's a lot going on." Hermione answered, purposely avoiding his gaze. Charlie scoffed back at her.

"Do you feel guilty? Like at all? Is that why you haven't written back to me or said a single word to me tonight until I have to corner you?" Charlie retorted, frustrated.

"I don't have time to feel guilty! Neither do you! We both have a lot going on." Hermione replied. She undid the strap to the cardigan she was wearing so he could see the bump that no one else had gotten a chance to see yet. As Charlie glanced towards her bump his eyes widened.

"Hermione? Is that mine? We can be together. I want to be together!" He stammered, surprised.

"It's too late." Hermione replied. "He thinks she's his. We can pretend like this never happened."

"She?" He asked and she nodded. "Whether you want me to or not I'm still going to exist! And that night is still going to have happened! Am I or am I not this baby's father? If I am I want to be there for her. Hell, even if she's not I'll be her father. You told me yourself you're not in love with him! Are you going to deny that night? How it felt? How being with me made you feel? I never saw that night as a one night stand. I love you, just from talking to you at the Leaky Cauldron and being with you that one time. I've never felt like this with anyone else. Even after you haven't spoken with me since it happened I still want to be with you!"

"Charlie, shhhh!" Hermione whispered frantically, glancing at the Exploding Snap game through the doorway. "Ron will hear you!"

"Oh really?!" Charlie replied sarcastically but lowering his voice. "He won't be a good father. He cares so much about work and is never around. Do you really think that's going to change when this baby is born?" Hermione actually laughed out loud when he said that and looked at him incredulously.

"Oh, and you don't? I do not recall you coming to this Christmas Eve party in years because you've had to 'work.' You're no different than he is." She responded. Charlie looked slightly crestfallen at being compared to Ron.

"I care enough to know when family comes first. That's why I came here tonight! To prove to you that I will be around for my family. I've never had a reason to before but you've made me want to change all of that. Please, Hermione, let me be here for you. We can make this work." Charlie pleaded.

Hermione's heart sank as he looked into his sincere, pleading green eyes. She wanted so badly to let him in. Her heart sank even further, however, when she thought of telling Ron.

"Don't let fear get in the way of doing the right thing," Charlie finally told her, almost reading her mind word for word. "I need to get going. I think I've said enough for tonight. But please, take some time to think about what I've said." He gave her a quick pat on the arm and a small, sad smile. Then, he turned around and walked over to where the rest of the family to continue playing the game.

She stayed still for a few seconds, trying to process what had just happened. Then, without thinking, she ran to Charlie and tapped his shoulder to try and get his attention. When he turned to face her she pressed her lips to his. She felt the same sort of warm, comfortable, spark that she had felt when they kissed that night months ago. Hermione didn't know how long they stayed like that, whether it was seconds, minutes, or hours but when they finally broke apart the entire room had gone deathly silent and everyone sat there staring at them, absolutely dumbstruck.

Even though she didn't want to, she made eye contact with Ron. To her surprise, he didn't look angry. He looked almost relieved when he finally made his way over to stand next to her.

"Can we talk?" He asked her hoarsely. Hermione nodded and turned to follow him.

"Hermione, do you want me to come?" Charlie murmured. She shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine." She replied. For the first time in recent memory, she did not feel the least bit anxious.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione and Ron walked up the stairs towards his room, neither saying a word until they got up there. Although Ron hadn't lived at the Burrow for years, the room still looked exactly the same as it did when they were in Hogwarts. The walls were bright orange and there were old pictures of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team players. She knew that at least three or four of the players weren't on the team anymore.

"Wanna sit?" He asked her awkwardly, sitting at the edge of his bed. She sat down next to him and took his hand in hers.

"Ron, I'm sorry." She began.

"Is the baby his?" He asked. Ron didn't sound upset, but he looked at her with a pleading look. He just needed to know the truth.

"Yes. The baby's his. I'm so sorry, Ron. I never meant for this to happen. I ran into him at the Leaky Cauldron one night and we had a couple of drinks and one thing led to another."

"Hermione, it's okay. I love you, more than anything in the world, but you and I both know that we're not meant to be a couple. It's been like this for so long but neither of us were brave enough to do anything about it." Ron smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. "Plus, I don't know if I'm ready to be a dad yet, but I know Charlie is and I know he'll take good care of you."

"Are you sure we're okay?" Hermione asked him, pulling away from the embrace and looking at him.

"Of course. I wish I could say the "other guy" is a git, but I can't. He's my brother and he's a good guy. I also wish I could say I was heartbroken, but I'm not. We both want different things in life and we're too different. I promise I'm okay. Hell, I'm going to be an Uncle again. I'm excited." Hermione couldn't believe how well the conversation went between them. Now, she just had to go downstairs and face the rest of the Weasleys who were sure to have some questions about what had just transpired. She also had to face Charlie, but she was excited about that. She wasn't anxious, Ron wasn't upset even though he had every right to be, and now she could focus on being excited for her daughter to be born.

Ron and Hermione went downstairs together and walked back into the living room.

"Whoa… Hermione!" Ginny squealed. Crap, Hermione hadn't put her cardigan back on and her belly was on display for everyone. "Congratulations!" Hermione didn't say anything and walked over to stand next to Charlie, who gave her a quick smile.

"So, Charlie and I wanted to surprise everyone," She began, "But I guess that didn't happen. We're expecting!"

"I'm going to be an Uncle!" Ron called from the other side of the room. Ginny looked as though she was bursting with questions but she thankfully didn't ask any of them. They all heard footsteps coming from down the stairs and Hermione rushed into the kitchen to grab the cardigan. Although the others had found out about the baby she could still surprise Molly and Arthur.

When she went back inside the living room everyone was sitting on the couches and were starting to pass around presents. Hermione sat in an empty spot conveniently in between Ron and Charlie which would make her announcement even better. Everyone laughed and joked as they opened their gifts to and from each other. Molly had made Hermione a gorgeous sage green sweater that complimented her brown eyes, Harry and Ginny had gotten her a new quill set, Charlie had gotten her a journal, the twins had gotten her some things from their joke shop. Once all the presents were open, Hermione glanced at Arthur and Molly with a smile.

"So, now that the presents are all open, would you like the good news or the bad news first?" .Hermione asked them. Molly's face turned pale as a ghost.

"Normally I'd expect something like this from Fred or George." She murmured, causing the twins to roar with laughter. Hermione answered her own question for Molly who looked like she was having a panic attack.

"So, the bad news is Ron and I have decided to go our separate ways." Hermione told her. "But the good news is that-"

"I'm going to be a dad!" Charlie blurted from next to her. Molly and Arthur looked from Charlie, to Hermione, and back again. Hermione stood up and took off her cardigan so they could see her baby bump.

"Charlie and I are happy to announce that we're expecting a baby girl"

"Oh my goodness, dear, this is quite unexpected but happy news!" Molly exclaimed, running over to her and wrapping her in a hug. "We're so happy for you!" The night went on and everyone enjoyed themselves. Not much else was said about Charlie and Hermione's situation. It was pretty common knowledge to everyone that Ron and Hermione weren't romantically compatible and it was only a matter of time before they realized it for themselves.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Charlie asked Hermione as everyone started to get their coats on and get ready to leave. Hermione hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Oh, um, I'm not sure." She stammered, well aware that her cheeks were bright red.

"I was hoping that you could come home with me." He suggested, a small smirk on his face. "It is up to you though. We can take this as slow or as fast as you'd like." Hermione burst out laughing.

"It's kind of too late for that. I am already pregnant." She pointed out. Ron walked over to the two of them.

"Hermione I'm going to head to the house. Are you coming back tonight or are you going with Charlie?"

"Oh, um I don't know." Hermione stammered.

"It's not a hard question." Ron laughed. "Either you guys can come back to the house and stay in the guest room or you go to Charlie's place. It's not going to hurt my feelings either way." Hermione looked at Charlie.

"I'm going to go to Charlie's." She replied. "I don't think I have anything at the house anyways, I brought everything to Hogwarts."

"If I find anything I'll know where to find you." He said with a wink. "You guys can take the car if you want, I'll aparate." He gave them both a hug and then he was gone.

"I don't think he realized my flat's in Romania." Charlie said with a bark like laugh. "I'm sure mom and dad would be fine if we stayed here or we could do the floo powder. It's up to you."

"Let's do the floo powder. I'd like to spend some time with just you." She replied. They both went to the fire place and she took his hand.

"Dragon's Lair." Charlie bellowed and off they went. Hermione hadn't been her since that night and now that she was back the events that had occured kept replaying themselves in her head.

"So, first things first," Charlie murmured into her ear and she jumped a mile in the air. She turned around and he got down on one knee.

"Charlie, what are you doing? Are you crazy?" She stammered.

"A little bit. But not indecisive. Hermione Jean Granger, I've never felt like this about anyone in my entire life. I feel like you're a part of me and I love you. I know we don't know each other well and we have a lot of growing to do together, but I want to grow with you. Will you marry me?" Hermione got really warm and nodded her head.

"Yes, Charlie Weasley. I will." He put the ring on her finger and kissed her. It still felt so right.  
"Now before you ask," Charlie began jokingly, "This ring was my grandmother's. It was supposed to go to Bill but when he proposed to Fleur her mother insisted that he use her grandmother's. I didn't just have a random ring."  
"I love you." Hermione giggled.

"I love you more," He replied. "And I don't want you to think we need to start planning this wedding now. We could even wait a few years if you want."

"We'll figure it out." Hermione shrugged. "Everything will come together when it's meant to be." They went up the spiral steps that led up to Charlie's loft and they stripped down and got into bed. His hands instantly went her belly where their baby was. Within a few minutes she felt the baby move and Charlie jumped.

"Was that her?" Her whispered. Hermione giggled and nodded her head. "Have you thought of any names for her?"

Hermione turned over so she was facing him.

"I was thinking Molly, after your mom." She told him. "But we can talk about it if you have another name you like more."

"No, I like Molly and I know that would mean a lot to her. Molly Grace?"

"I love it." Hermione said and she drifted off into sleep. Completely at peace and happy in the arms of her true love. They were finally a family.


End file.
